Today, university students and graduates have a wonderful opportunity to undergo an internship abroad in their field and simultaneously improve their knowledge of a foreign language. As Ucheba.Ru notes, in addition to work and language practice, interns get acquainted with the culture of another country, with business methods, and finally, make business contacts.
There are many internship programs abroad. They are developed in countries interested in disseminating and popularizing their principles and models of business and management. These programs are conducted by domestic and foreign organizations – intermediaries between departments of different states and consumers. They can be compared to travel agencies, but they organize not leisure, but study and work.
All programs are designed so that young professionals acquire the necessary knowledge and experience during the internship to start their own business back home. Therefore, when going through an interview at the embassy, you need to show your desire to definitely return home. But you cannot rule out the possibility that the host company will take a liking to you and offer you to stay.
The USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Malta, Australia, Spain, Italy, France and other countries are involved in this process of training and exchange of experience.
Most often, domestic companies organizing educational trips offer internships in the hospitality and tourism sector. In foreign companies, the range is more interesting: management of medical institutions, pedagogical activity, business and commerce, finance, accounting, marketing, library science, law, advertising, printing, public relations, web design - website design creation, show and art business, civil engineering, programming and IT, design and architecture.
By countries and continents
Each country has its own attitude towards interns. For example, in Europe, internships are mostly unpaid: it is understood that the student trainee lives entirely at the expense of parents or guardians. A mandatory item is language training and narrowly specialized subjects. Internships are usually short-term – a few months. Upon completion, a certificate of the type established in the host country is issued.
Embassy CES (Great Britain) – the program is designed for 12 weeks: six weeks of study, plus six weeks of internship. No salary is provided. First, an English language course is conducted, then an internship, after which the intern returns to the language school for two weeks to consolidate specialized vocabulary and prepare a work report. Upon completion, a Cambridge Certificate in Work Experience (Basic Certificate) and an Embassy CES certificate are issued.
In the USA, trainees are regarded as employees, not students. Therefore, all internships are paid by the employer; there is no introductory course in the specialization or English lessons. They need trainees who have already sufficiently mastered English and the theory of their specialty. Americans live by the principle: 'The best study is work!'
SMG (USA) – 6, 12 and 18 months plus one month of vacation, during which you can travel around the country. Paid internship (minimum hourly rate $5.75) in one of the American companies; no training is provided. The program is designed for full-time students in their fourth or fifth year of university and recent graduates who have a good command of English and work experience in their specialty.
PLI (Canada) – 8 weeks or more. No salary is paid during the internship. The program is divided into preparatory English courses and practical training. The program participant must be at least 20 years old; language requirements are high: a level equivalent to TOEFL 185.
The Australian government is interested in attracting young professionals, so a special visa, the Paid trainee visa 442, has recently come into effect, providing the opportunity to extend the visa or convert it to a permanent one after the internship program. Along with paid internships, several state immigration programs operate in Australia.
Trainee New Zealand (New Zealand) – six months, plus one month for travel, with the possibility of extending the visa for another six months. It is supported by the New Zealand government, which ensures the participant a work permit in that country for a period of 6 to 12 months. Initially, the internship is arranged for six months, and then it can be extended for another six months by agreement between the participant and the employer. After the program ends, you can stay in the country for up to three months as a tourist (for our citizens, a tourist visa is required).
In Australia, internships are offered in the tourism, hospitality and restaurant business. You can earn money and cover your expenses. The average salary is 7–8 Australian dollars per hour with a work week of 35–40 hours. Language level is upper-intermediate/advanced, TOEFL 550.
Hard workers and lazy people
There is a large number of agencies in our country that organize internships abroad. The range of programs differs for each. It should be noted right away that domestic agencies are divided into two camps: the 'lazy' and the 'hard workers'. The former will advise you on programs and handle paperwork, but they will not look for an employer interested in interns from other countries. They won't help with housing either. To the question: 'But how am I supposed to search in a foreign country?' they reply: 'Use acquaintances or friends' contacts, search the Internet. It's simple!' They also note that you should start searching one to two years before the intended internship, and prepare documents six months to a year in advance. The 'hard workers', on the contrary, undertake to find you both a suitable employer and housing.
Agencies do not always have their own representative offices in the city where they offer internships. As a rule, they enter into contracts with foreign supervisory companies, whose responsibilities include meeting you, giving an introductory lecture, introducing you to your boss, and helping to resolve any problems related to living and protecting your rights. The supervisor must also regularly hold meetings for their interns so they can get information, advice, or simply make friends. It also happens that domestic companies do not enter into contracts with supervisory partners at all, and then the intern is left completely alone in a foreign country. He is forced to solve all problems and defend his rights on his own.
Without intermediaries
If a foreign company does not have a representative office in our country, you can directly contact a foreign agency. Then you have the Internet, telephone, fax, and email to help you. If, for example, you plan to go to France, look for information about such firms on French websites. There are agencies that are focused on attracting our citizens. For instance, the company Professional Horizons has an office only in Washington, but the information on their website is in Russian. They can also conduct correspondence and telephone conversations in your native language. You consult, send letters and documents, register with the embassy yourself, and if successful, you will be welcomed with open arms by the supervisory agency.
When choosing an agency, ask:
* whether it handles student internships in your field;
* whether it works only with students or with graduate students and graduates;
* which countries it cooperates with;
* how long it has been on the market.
What you need to find out about the program:
* duration of the internship;
* who is the partner-supervisor abroad;
* what package of documents you need to collect yourself and which documents the agency prepares;
* what is included in the cost of the program and what needs to be paid separately;
* living conditions;
* whether the internship is paid or not;
* whether there is an adaptation and language course;
* what happens in case of visa refusal, refusal by the host company for the internship, illness, or other force majeure circumstances;
* what to do if you don't like the employer.
Requirements for participants:
* age – over 18;
* incomplete or complete higher education in the same field as the internship;
* foreign language proficiency level – above average.
Required documents:
* application for participation;
* resume and cover letter to the employer (in a foreign language);
* essay on the topic 'What I want to achieve' (in a foreign language);
* international passport;
* certificate from the university (with translation);
* recommendation from your teacher or a letter from the dean's office stating your major (with translation);
* certificate of academic leave or permission to miss classes (with translation);
* language course certificates;
* bank guarantee of sufficient funds in your account (or your parents' account) or the enterprise that agreed to pay for your education;
* student ID, grade book;
* family property documents and a certificate of family composition (registration certificate, vehicle passport, garage cooperative certificate, etc.). These documents confirm that you do not plan to emigrate; it is advisable but not always mandatory to provide them;
* medical examination certificate;
* police clearance certificate;
* certificate from parents' place of employment stating salary and company details, stamped and signed;
* international driver's license (not mandatory but recommended);
* passport photos.
Let's get started!
Liliya Mikhina, lead consultant of the recruitment agency 'Anthropos Consulting':
– Of course, a person who has completed an internship abroad has a number of advantages. First, excellent language skills, not only everyday but also professional, allow a young specialist to successfully work with foreign partners and clients. Second, work experience abroad indicates that the candidate is seriously committed to career growth. Business in our country is just starting to pick up, and knowledge of techniques and schemes that work effectively 'there' is very useful. Therefore, large domestic companies, especially those related to marketing, prefer specialists who have 'interned at such and such' in their resume. Such applicants find suitable jobs in leading companies faster, and their salaries are higher than those of employees who have not completed a relevant professional internship.
Personal experience
Natalia Chkhikvadze studied at Eurocentres and The London School of English, and interned at The Bower Cotton Partnership (UK):
– My internship was organized by IQ Consultancy. First, I took a course in general, business and legal English and I believe that preliminary language study is very useful. I interned at the law firm The Bower Cotton Partnership for four weeks. There I had the opportunity to apply the knowledge gained in the business English course. During the internship, I became familiar with the working methods of English lawyers and not only observed but also personally participated in the work. My supervisor helped me understand all the issues and complete tasks. In addition, I made important contacts in the professional environment.
Anastasia BORISOVA.